Please note that the OMB number and expiration date may not have been determined
when this Information Collection Request and associated Information Collection forms
were submitted to OMB. The approved OMB number and expiration date may be found by
clicking on the Notice of Action link below.

Terms of Clearance:
This collection is approved with the following terms of clearance: Since the current timing for FAFSA system revisions and the Paperwork Reduction Act’s statutory public comment period are not aligned and does not fully allow comments provided by the public to be incorporated into the academic year’s electronic FAFSA submission, the Department must provide to OMB an alignment plan beginning with the 2012-2013 FAFSA. This will ensure compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act and that Education has the opportunity to thoughtfully consider and properly implement beneficial comments from the public.

Inventory as of this Action

Requested

Previously Approved

Expiration Date

12/31/2011

12/31/2011

12/31/2010

Responses

35,818,915

35,818,915

21,696,675

Time Burden (Hours)

32,239,328

32,239,328

26,781,074

Cost Burden (Dollars)

0

0

0

Abstract:
Public Law 89-329, Sections 401-495, the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), mandates that the Secretary of Education “…shall produce, distribute, and process free of charge common financial reporting forms as described in this subsection to be used for application and reapplication to determine the need and eligibility of a student for financial assistance.”
The determination of need and eligibility are for the following Title IV, HEA, federal student financial assistance programs: the Federal Pell Grant Program; the Campus-Based programs (Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Work-Study (FWS), and the Federal Perkins Loan Program); the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program; the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant; and the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant.
Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Department of Education (hereafter “the Department”), subsequently developed an application process to collect and process the data necessary to determine a student’s eligibility to receive Title IV, HEA program assistance. The application process involves an applicant’s submission of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). After submission of the FAFSA, an applicant receives a Student Aid Report (SAR) which is a summary of the data they submitted on the FAFSA. The applicant reviews the SAR, and, if necessary, will make corrections or updates to their submitted FAFSA.

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion:
Yes

Burden Increase Due to:
Miscellaneous Actions

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion:
Yes

Burden Reduction Due to:
Using Information Technology

Short Statement:
The net program change burden decrease of 5,405,813, results from the simplification improvements made by the Department for 2011-2012. The 10,864,067 burden adjustment number reflects the burden increase of adding the SAR collection and the estimated 11.46 percent increase in submissions for 2011-2012.

Annual Cost to Federal Government:
$55,649,216

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods?
No

Is the Supporting Statement intended to be a Privacy Impact Assessment required by the E-Government Act of 2002?
No

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [PPACA, P.L. 111-148 & 111-152]?
No

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Act [Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, P.L. 111-203]?
No

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)?
Yes

Agency Contact:
Shamarli Kollock 2023773483

Common Form ICR:
No

On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).

The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:

(a) It is necessary for the proper performance of agency functions;

(b) It avoids unnecessary duplication;

(c) It reduces burden on small entities;

(d) It uses plain, coherent, and unambiguous language that is understandable to respondents;

(e) Its implementation will be consistent and compatible with current reporting and recordkeeping practices;

(f) It indicates the retention periods for recordkeeping requirements;

(g) It informs respondents of the information called for under 5 CFR 1320.8 (b)(3) about:

(i) Why the information is being collected;

(ii) Use of information;

(iii) Burden estimate;

(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);

(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and

(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;

(h) It was developed by an office that has planned and allocated resources for the efficient and effective management and use of the information to be collected.